The Financial Reporting Council fined Ernst & Young £1.8 million for their shoddy audit work of distributor Tech Data.

This is what happened. In 2013, Tech Data revealed that there were material errors in their financials for 2011, 2012 and part of 2013. The errors were related to improper accounting of vendor sales, improper use of manual journal entries and incorrect recognition of forex currency conversion. The company’s bottom line was reduced by $27 million due to these errors.

After Tech Data’s revelation, FRC got into action and in 2014 started to look into Tech Data’s auditor E&Y’s role in the matter. Both E&Y and the audit engagement partner Julian Gray admitted that they messed up and were fined £1.8m and £90K respectively.

A few month’s ago UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) levied the then largest ever penalty on PWC, for 5 Million Pounds, related to misconduct over its audit of Connaught Plc, a FTSE 250 company that went into administration in 2010.

Now PWC is fined 5.1 Million pounds related to misconduct over its audit of RSM Tenon Group Plc., a professional services firm that went into administration in 2013.

FRC is also investigating PWC’s audit of the BT Group Plc following an accounting scandal in the carrier’s Italian unit.

Definitely a record breaking year for PWC, definitely not the kind the firm is looking for.

As the internal accounting probe of the sales numbers of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. nears completion, its CEO David Hallal and CFO Vikas Sinha have unexpectedly resigned. Mr. Hallal for personal reasons and Mr. Sinha to pursue other opportunities. Wonder what the personal reason and other opportunities are!

What perfect timing! I am most intrigued now what the results of the accounting probe will be.

News

On November 10,1494, the first book about double entry systems was published by the Italian mathematician, Lua Pacioli, also known as the father of accounting. In his honor the day is celebrated as the International Accountants Day! To all fellow accountants, keep up the great work.

Italy's Antitrust authority fined the big 4 (Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG and PWC) a total of 23 million euros for allegedly conspiring and colluding to divvy up large public consultancy contracts. Looks like the Big 4 need to revise their Ethics class!

Two more corporate shareholders filed a legal claim against Toshiba, linked to the the 2015 accounting scandal, seeking $5.08 million in compensation for damages. This brings the total damages sought to $1.2 billion!